Florida growers yielded 606 million pounds of fresh-market tomatoes and $463 million of revenue last year. That is tremendous success, though competition from Mexico continues to put pressure on the state’s producers. That’s why University of Florida scientist Tong Geon Lee spends most of his research time in the lab and fields looking for the right combination of genes. He …
Tomato Industry Leader Optimistic Despite Recent Challenges
By Clint Thompson Southeast tomato producers have encountered various challenges recently. Between rising imports and competition with Mexico, increasing labor concerns and the impact of COVID-19 on the food service sector, the tomato industry struggles to stay afloat. But industry leaders remain optimistic that the industry has a brighter future. Just ask Michael Schadler, manager of the Florida Tomato Committee …
Registration Deadline Looms for Florida Tomato Conference
The registration deadline for the 2021 Florida Tomato Conference is Wednesday, Aug. 25. The event is scheduled for Sept. 8 at the LaBelle Civic Center in LaBelle, Florida. Registration is free for employees of Florida tomato growers/packers, sponsors, presenters and university affiliates. The cost for other attendees is $50. The event will start at 9 a.m. and conclude at 5 …
Sanitation Key for Whitefly Management in Tomatoes
By Clint Thompson Planting season is under way for Florida’s tomato producers. Hopefully, farmers have done their due diligence and planned for whiteflies with proper sanitation of previous crops. That is one of the best management tactics growers can implement, says Hugh Smith, Associate Professor of Entomology and Nematology at the University of Florida Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. …
Florida Tomato Conference in September
By Clint Thompson Registration is under way for the Florida Tomato Conference, scheduled for Sept. 8 at the LaBelle Civic Center in LaBelle, Florida. The annual format will feature industry and research updates in the morning session. Michael Schadler with the Florida Tomato Committee will speak about the state of the industry. Scientists from the University of Florida/IFAS will share …
Tomato Producers Be Wary of Fall Diseases
By Clint Thompson Tomato season is here for producers in Florida. Diseases like bacterial leaf spot and target spot should be on the mind of growers preparing their fungicide programs, says Josh Freeman, University of Florida/IFAS Associate Professor in Horticultural Science. “In the fall season we really worry about bacterial leaf spot getting established early just because we’re in a …
Update on Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus in Florida
By Ozgur Batuman and Salih Yilmaz Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is a highly contagious, devastating and economically important plant virus. It mainly threatens greenhouse-grown vegetable crops worldwide, especially tomatoes and peppers. ToBRFV is very similar to other tobamoviruses, such as tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) and tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), two tomato-infecting viruses common to most Florida growers. Although …
Tomato, Pepper Listening Sessions Scheduled with USDA RMA
Florida and Georgia tomato and pepper producers are invited to listening sessions with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency (RMA). Feedback about potential production and revenue history policy is wanted for both commodities. The fresh market tomato sessions are for growers in South Florida, industry members and regional insurance representatives. The pepper sessions are for fresh market growers …
Perfect Tomato? Plant Breeding a Challenge For Even the Best
By Clint Thompson University of Florida tomato breeder Sam Hutton can sometimes be in a no-win situation when trying to create a variety of the future. Between a consumer base that desires quality, and farmers, who crave quantity, it presents a challenging scenario. How do you keep farmers and consumers happy? It is almost impossible. “As you increase your sugars, …
Managing Whitefly-Transmitted Viruses in Georgia
By Bhabesh Dutta and Rajagopalbabu Srinivasan The silverleaf whitefly (Bemisia tabaci), also known as sweetpotato whitefly, is a pest of several horticultural and agronomic crops in southern Georgia. While direct feeding can injure plants and lead to problems such as silvering of leaves, deposition of honeydew and formation of sooty mold, whiteflies also can transmit numerous devastating plant viruses. Transmission …